Hyderabad: Panel sounds warning on quake in catchment areas

Hyderabad: The three-member committee that was constituted to study the impact of scrapping of GO 111 protecting the twin reservoirs of city, the Osman Sagar and Himayat Sagar, on Wednesday released its interim report, stating that if the said GO was scrapped there are chances of earthquakes in the catchment areas of the reservoirs.

The committee also wrote a letter to the State High Court requesting to consider the committee's final report on GO 111, and also mentioned about the risk of intensifying rains that can lead to floods in coming years.

The committee included Dr K Babu Rao, retired Chief Scientist, IICT; Sagar Dhara, former UNEP consultant who was previously on the SC-appointed committee on Hussainsagar and Dr Rama Lingeshwar Rao, a retired NGRI scientist, expert on seismic zone and stress map of India as its members.

In a letter to the High Court, Dr Lubna Sarwath, Telangana State president of Water Resources Council said that it was the fundamental duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment, including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife. The people's committee was formed to study GO 111, Osman Sagar, Himayat Sagar, and Ananthagiri Hills. The experts, scientists, and environmental activists requested to consider the committee's final report based on science and law before the High Court.

She further said, "The constitution of people's committee with its terms of reference have also been submitted to Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao and also to Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) Minister KT Rama Rao. The possibility of an earthquake in the catchment area and the steps for protecting the two dams on two river tributaries when there is the possibility of high intensity rains are also mentioned."

Adding that the two reservoirs were constructed by damming the tributaries of Musa and Esa rivers, Dr Sarwath also pointed out that as per the historical records the purpose of damming the tributaries and creating the reservoirs was to protect Hyderabad city from floods. She further said that the environment activists have requested the High Court to consider the final report of the committee.